Lynn Freeman

It's a big call, replacing a member of a long-established New Zealand String Quartet - big for both the ensemble and for the newbie. Monique Lapins took over as second violin for the New Zealand… Audio

Five years ago Pitsch Leiser abandoned Auckland for Hawke's Bay. He found it had everything - everything except a functioning Opera House and an arts festival. So he rolled up his sleeves and started… Audio

For three years, Clare Caldwell has taught painting at the Auckland City Mission, long enough to know what a difference it makes to offer a means of expression to people who are homeless and… Audio

His graphic novel of folktales has won Craig Phillips the 2018 Russell Clark Illustration Award. The Taupo-based illustrator's take on traditional scary stories, which he both illustrated and wrote… Audio

The human body is the canvas of choice for artists here and overseas who are feverishly practising their designs for the upcoming 10th New Zealand Body Art Showcase. Special effects makeup and body… Audio

In the era of the Weinstein fallout, "Lover or predator" is the byline for Opera Otago's new modern-day production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, created by father and son director and music director John… Audio

Cooking Sections is a London based art duo fascinated by international food practices and systems, and they're about to explore our food producing nation on a research trip. Their past projects… Audio

A photography course at an alternative school in Henderson, has been a life changer for the teenagers involved. Their photographs and people's stories they gathered at the same time, were shown in an… Audio

For fifty years Auckland-based painter Denys Watkins has produced lushly-coloured abstract paintings often responding to nature, the joy of being part of it and threats to it. Despite being a frequent… Audio

Writer Owen Marshell may have been born in Te Kuiti but in his soul he's a Southern Man, a champion of the people and landscapes of Canterbury and Otago. While best known for his novels and short… Audio

It's the 130th anniversary of writer Katherine Mansfield's birth, and her home town is going all out to celebrate the life of one of its favourite daughters. Wellington Arts Festival KM130 encompasses… Audio

It's a perennial question - particularly on this programme - "How to balance the need to make a living with the desire to be creative?" It's also one of the questions that photographer Jason Naylor is… Audio

A massive tapestry telling the stories of injured First World War New Zealand soldiers and medical staff at the Mount Felix Hospital in the UK, is about to go on display over here. Also making the… Audio

After more than a year in the making, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is about to wish popular Wellington band the Phoenix Foundation a happy 20th anniversary with one of the biggest gigs they've… Audio

Hamilton's CBD is in the midst of an art gallery bonanza, with several new galleries opening in just the last six months. So what's behind this show of confidence in the visual art market? And which… Audio

This week sees the grand finals of the Lexus Song Quest, 2018. Over the decades the award has boosted many a young opera singer's career, as well as being a significant confidence booster in this… Audio

Lynn Freeman asked Emma and Rachel if they always work on the cover as well as designing what's inside. Audio

Jeppe is one of the guests of Script to Screen's "Episodic Lab" project for would-be TV writers. He's also part of a public event next Tuesday afternoon, to be held at the Ellen Melville Centre at… Audio

Filmmaker Rebecca Tansley documented the project and her documentary The Heart Dances is about to premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival. She talks to Lynn Freeman about her… Audio